Why bother?

If you’re an atheist, then you know as well as I do that life is a yawning chasm of despair and hopelessness, and you surely long for sweet oblivion to finally put an end to the whole pointless charade. But fret not! Spit out that handful of pills, put down the razorblades and step away from your wrists! Life doesn’t have to be empty and without meaning just because you don’t believe in a god or an afterlife.

Let’s look at this supposedly miserable atheistic worldview. We’re all going to just die, and then that’ll be it. All our feelings and emotions, and everything else that makes us who we are, will one day come to an end. We will effectively become nothing, and so will everything else. The effects of every single event that has ever occurred will eventually be nullified. Nothing lasts forever, and all will one day be forgotten.

Seriously, put down the razorblades, I’m going somewhere with this.

Although this might sound rather bleak, does it really change anything all that much if you insert God into the mix? Assume he comes pre-packaged with that “eternal life” deal he’s often said to provide, for all those “souls” he apparently dishes out left and right to just about anyone with the sense to be born. If that’s really true for us, how much does it actually affect the purpose of our lives?

In this scenario, we’ve got an eternity stretching out ahead of us – Heaven, Hell, reincarnation, some combination of the above, or something else entirely. Why would this add significance to anything we do in this particular life-span? Things which have profound and hugely affecting resonances in this world will, presumably, be forgotten and rendered moot in an insignificant sliver of time, compared with our infinite future. Although it might seem like a big deal now if I murdered your family, they were all immortal anyway; it’ll only be a short wait before we’ll have countless trillions of years to stop caring about anything that happened in this lifetime.

I really can’t fathom any good reason why people should believe that only a universe with a god can provide our lives with any purpose, except as a knee-jerk reaction to the scary idea that we might one day cease to exist. Feel free to chip in and tell me what I’ve failed to consider.

Changing tack a little, I know some people who both believe in God, and like eating cake. Let’s call one such sweet-toothed churchgoer Mabel, because I think it’d be cool to have a friend named Mabel. When Mabel’s chomping away on some gateau, is there anything involved in her enjoyment other than the chocolatey goodness? Does she have any long-term goals in mind, relating to the fate of her immortal soul? Would it sadden her, and destroy her ability to enjoy her baked treat, if she believed that one day there would be no more cake? Is there likely to be anything even remotely connected to her religious convictions on her mind while she helps herself to another slice? Or is she simply delighting in how delicious and moist it is?

The world has so much for us to take pleasure in, of which cake is only one small part. We can ascribe value and meaning where it suits us, without being ordered to suck up to the Big Guy in the clouds and told that this is the only way we can make our existence worthwhile. We can live this life as if it were our last, without having to be constantly watching and moderating our behaviour with some uncertain eternal future in mind. Whatever seems like a big deal now, is a big deal. We can make things matter to us. We can make our purpose.

And when we die, maybe that’ll be it. Hopefully we’ll have found some fulfilment, however we defined that, and left some worthwhile legacy for the people who helped give our lives that purpose. Or maybe that won’t be it, in which case we’ll see what happens next. I’ll be fascinated if it turns out that there’s more to come, but if not, I’m enjoying myself while I last.

Ever enjoy doing something for someone, just to do it and give them the pleasure of your kindness and consideration, or love?

That’s what Christianity is really all about but far too many weird and twisted human traditions have elbowed their way in, confusing things until it’s almost lost in the mud of false guilt.

Having any sort of relationship with the Creator of the universe would have to rank at the top of the WOW factor scale, and giving loving appreciation to that Creator would be the natural result, especially if in doing so one was totally satisfied in a way no drug, sex or rock-n-roll can provide.

Death won’t be the end, it’s a beginning I’ve been blessed with tasting and the simple key begins to open that mysterious lock when one realizes that sin has been dealt with and each of us is no longer guilty as it has been “Taken away”.

Herein is the beginning of wisdom, life eternal and true fulfilling peace.

Um. Not even close to what? I’m describing here one possible approach by which atheists can find meaning and purpose in life. It’s definitely working for me. If your own notion of the universe also lets you live in it happily, then fine, but God isn’t a necessary part of that. Humanism’s plenty fulfilling enough.

It seems like, if death is the beginning, then you might be spending the whole time leading up to that just waiting for things to really get going. And apparently it makes it all seem “empty & bleak” here, until someone else sorts it all out for you and opens up the real possibilities, which can only happen after you die. Which seems like a shame. Personally, I’m having fun already.

Your points aren’t clear to me. What you’ve found to be a common tactic for atheists isn’t really relevant unless you can point to something I’ve said which is invalid because of it. As far as I know, I’ve never abandoned reason and life seems to be right here. That seems to be what all the respiration and nutrition is about, anyway.

It annoys me somewhat to hear god fearing people assume they alone have some key to existence; that they alone understand the ‘truth’ (The burden of proof rests on your shoulders). To accuse so called ‘non believers’ of being lost is naive. Life is hard, it is a struggle to survive at times, so I can understand why certain people want to believe. I am a person (among many) who cares deeply for others – sometimes to much. It is possible to have principles and a moral compass without hiding your motives behind the fables of a mythical being. Just think for yourself, act for yourself. Religious zealots are no better than conspiracy theorists. The world is tearing itself apart over religious beliefs, innocent people die over this one ‘idea’, and you still think somebody is up there? If there was – well I don’t think he really cares about you – do you?. Personally, I would rather take control of my own life, than blithely follow a doctrine of fables, regardless of weather I want to carry on or not. Are you really all so afraid of the meaningless of it all that you feel there is no other reason to carry on? I feel sorry for you, you are the ones that are really lost.

“The knowledge of God has been placed into the heart of all men” so the burden of proof has been satisfied within he for whom I am responsible. You may or may not choose to join with those of understanding, it is your choice. No one but you is keeping yourself ostracized.

Interesting the way an atheist always points out ‘extremism’, ‘zealots’ and ‘attacks’ when one is solely responsible for him/herself and their own faith or chosen lack of it.

Feel no sorrow for those of us who have a moral value system upon which to base community for we have arrived and are free, it is you who still searches the dung and bleakness for the truth’s answer you have chosen to reject.
Belief in the Truth does not necessitate it’s non-existence; again, erroneous conclusion, fallacy.

God is not dead nor a fool, he will do as he has promised, for both those of faith and to those without.

Your choice for you, my choice for me, I need not cower to those who intentionally distort reality in feeble erroneous attempts to prove their pointless points.

If there was a god as many people think, good people would not die until they were too old to walk, talk, and think. Babies and old people would not be raped and/ or beaten, and babies would not be born with deformities and have to suffer. Period.